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Thera 5.11: Sona-Kutikanna
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(208):Sona-Kutikanna Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter V. Five Verses =208. Soṇa-Kuṭikanna= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the country of Avanti in the family of a very wealthy councillor, he was given the name of Soṇa. Wearing ear-jewelry worth a crore(x10 milllion), he became known as Koṭi-, or Kuṭi-kanna (Crore-ears).1 Grown up, he became a landowner, and when the venerable Kaccāna the Great2 stayed near his house, he ministered to his wants, learned the Path(Dhamma), and finally growing disturbed, entered the Monk’s order through him. Collecting with 208 great difficulty a company of ten, he soon took leave of the Thera to go to Sāvatthī and salute the Lord(Buddha). Being admitted to pass the night in tbe Lord(Buddha)'s portion, and in the morning invited to recite, he was commended for the sixteen Aṭṭhakas. And when the verse - Seeing the evils of a worldly life, was finished, he developed insight and won arahantship(enlightenment). And when he had obtained the Lord(Buddha)'s consent to the three matters which Kaccāna the Great had commissioned him to ask, he returned to his own living-place, and told the Thera his instructor. This is recorded more fully in the Udāna and Anguttara Commentaries,3 but there it is said that he attained arahantship(enlightenment) while studying under his teacher. Soon, while living in the bliss of emancipation(nirvana), he reviewed his achievement, and full of joy he breathed out these verses: ---- 365 Upasampadā ca me laddhā vimutto camhi anāsavo,|| So ca me bhagavā diṭṭho vihāre ca sahāvasiɱ.|| || 366 Bahudeva rattiɱ bhagavā abbho kāsetināmayi,|| Vihārakusalo satthā vihāraɱ pāvisī tadā.|| || 367 Santharitvāna saŋghāṭiɱ seyyaɱ kappesi gotamo,|| Sīho selaguhāyaɱ'va pahīnabhayabheravo.|| || 368 Tato kalyāṇavākkaraṇo sammāsambuddhasāvako,|| Soṇo abhāsi saddhammaɱ buddhaseṭṭhassa sammukhā.|| || 369 Pañcakkhandhe pariññāya bhāvayitvāna añjasaɱ,|| Pappuyya paramaɱ santiɱ parinibbissatyanāsavo' ti.|| || ---- 365 Not only did I initiation into monkhood win, Emancipated am I, sane, immune; Yes, him have I now seen, the Exalted One(Buddha), And where he lived, there with him did I lodge. 366 Far through the night he stayed beneath the sky, Then, versed in everything , The Lord(Buddha) in his chamber went to rest. 367 His robe spread Gotama4 and laid him down, Like unto lion in a rocky cave, For whom all fear and dread have passed away.5 368 Thereafter in the presence of the Chief, The Awakened One(Buddha), did Soṇa, framing goodly speech, Disciple of the Buddha, speak the Path(Dhamma). 204 369 Well did he know the factors of this life, Well did he cultivate the Ariyan Way, So, having won to that most perfect Peace, Shall he complete becoming,6 sane, immune. ---- 1 Or is it possible he had the little point or faunlike peak (kuṭi) in the ears, like Julian Hawthorne's hero in 'Transformation'? See Vinaya Texts, ii. 32, n. 3. 2 See CCXXIX. 3 Udāna, v. 6; Manoratha-pūraṇī on Ang., i. 24, Ī 2; Vinaya Texts, i¡. 32 ff. 4 See XCI., n. 8, in which for ten, read nine, times. 5 Cf. introductory stanzas. 6 Identical with the last line in verse 364, except that the verb is in the future, parinibbissati, making, by the way, a superfluous foot in the Pali metre. ---- =5.11 208 Commentary on the stanzas of Sonakuṭikaṇṇatthera= The stanza starting with upasampadā ca me laddhā constitutes that of the venerable thera Soṇakuṭikaṇṇa. What is the origin? It is said that this one became a banker, endowed with wealth in the city of Haṃsavati, at the time of the Blessed One Padumuttara; established in immensely (ulāra) authoritative (issariya) prosperity (sampatti), he, one day, happened to have met the Master, surrounded by a hundred thousand Arahants who were free from cankers (āsava) entering the city with the great grace (līlā) of Buddha and prosperous power of the awakened One, became pleasingly pious-minded, paid his homage to Him and remained making his hands clasped. In the afternoon (pacchābhattaṃ) he went to the monastery along with devotees, and was listening to the truth (dhamma) in the presence of the Blessed One, when he saw the Master placing a monk in the foremost position of those clear reciters (kalyāṇavākkaraṇa), himself also aspired for that position, offered a great charitable offering and made his self-resolution, The Master, after having seen the immediate certainty (anantarāyataṃ) (of his accomplishment) prophesied to him thus: “In time to come, in the dispensation of the well self-awakened Buddha named Gotama, he will become chief of clear reciters.” He performed acts of merit as long as he lived there, and wandering about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings, he became a monk in the dispensation at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī, fulfilled the major and minor duties, stitched the robe of a monk and offered the same to that monk. Again in the world devoid of Buddha, he became a tailor in Benares, he mended (ghatetvā) the torn end of the robe of a silent buddha and made his offering. Having made acts of merit in this manner here and there, he was reborn as the son of an abundantly wealthy banker, in the house of Kurara (the osprey), in the kingdom of Aventi, when this Buddha arose. They gave him the name Soṇa. Althought he should be current (vattabbe) as “Koṭikaṇṇo (crore ear),” owing to his wearing (dhāraṇa) a pair of ear-embellishments at a price of a crore, he was known by the name of Kuṭikaṇṇa. After having gradually grown up,in due course, he on setting up his household estate, listened to the truth (dhamma) in the presence of the venerable Mahākaccāna who was dwelling at the Pavatta hill depending on his family home, became established in the refuges and moral precepts and attended upon (the thera) with four kinds of recluse’s requisites. Subsequently he became remorseful over rounds of repeated rebirths, became a monk in the presence of the thera, had a chapter (vagga) of the clergy of ten monks assembled with stress (kiccha) and strain (kasira), had himself fully ordained, dwelt in the presence of the thera for a few days, begged leave of the thera, went to Sāvatthi to wordhip the Master, gained the privilage of abiding in the same fragrant chamber with the Master, invited (ajjhiṭṭho) at the time of sum-rise and because he was spoken to after having been given congratulations excitedly (ussāraṇena) by a chapter of eight and sixteen monks, increasingly developed spiritual insight at the all-round end of his stanza of solemnly joyous utterance (udāna) starting with “Disvā ādīnavaṃ loke (having seen the disadvantage in the world),” and attained Arahantship. Hence has it been said in the Apadāna:–- “The Conqueror named Padumuttara, the worthy recipient of sacred sacrificial offerings (āhuti), together with a hundred thousand influential (vasī) Arahants, at that time, entered the city. When such a Sage as was tranquil entered the city, gem jewels shone bright; there was proclamation (nighoso) continuously (tāvade). On account of Buddha’s power, drums were sounded by themselves (vajju- maghaṭṭitā), lutes sounded forth by themselves, when Buddha entered the city. I adored Buddha, the best, the great Sage Padumuttara; having seen the miracle also, my mind became pious- ly pleased with it. Wonderful is Buddha, wonderful is dhamma and wonderful is our good fortune (sampadā) with the Master; even inanimate (acetanā) musical instruments play music but by them- selves. It was a hundred thousand aeons (kappa) ago, that I then gained the perception (saññā); I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful result of my perception (saññā) of Buddha. My depravity had been burnt … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” After, having, however, become established in Arahantship, he asked for five favours (vara); full ordination (upasaṃpadā) with a collection of clergy (gaṇena) which had the remoriser of discipline (vinayadhara) as the fifth in the border (paccantima) districts, permanent provision (dhuvanānaṃ) , skin spread (sammattharaṇa), sandals with serveral strands (guṇaṅguṇūpāhana) and thoughtlessness (vippavāsa) in robes (cīvara) in the manner (niyāma) informed (ācikkhita) by his preceptor (upajjhāya), gained them from the presence of the Master, went but again to his own dwelling place, and reported that matter to his preceptor. Here, this is in brief; at length, however, it should be understood in the manner as had come in the commentary of Udāna. In the Commentary of Anguttara, however, it has been said thus: “Having become fully ordained as a monk, he collected his mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), increasingly developed spiritual insight and attained Arahantship.” On a subsequent occasion, he reflected over his own proper performance (paṭipatti) while he was dwelling with the bliss of emancipation, become delighted and spoke these five stanzas by way of his solemnly joyous utterance (udāna):– 365. “Full ordination had been gained by me; I became emancipated and free from cankers; that Blessed One had been seen by me; together (with Him) I dwelt in the monastery. 366. “The Blessed One spent (atināmayi) but much of the night in open air; the Master clever in monastic residence, then entered the monastery. 367. “Having spread well His double robe, Buddha Gotama lay Himself down; resembling the lion in its stone-cave lair, He was deviod of danger and fear (bherava). 368. “Thereafter, Soṇa, speaker of good words, the disciple of the well self- awakened One, Buddha, spoke the good truth (saddhamma) in the very presence of Buddha, the best. 369. “Having all-round understood the five aggregates (khandha) and having developed the noble eightfold path (añjasa), he will be free from cankers and bound to nibbāna without any substratum of exis- tence after having attained absolute (paramaṃ) tranquility (santi). There, upassampadā ca me laddhā means: he said in connection with both full ordinations (tadubhayaṃ); that full ordinatioin (upasampadā) obtained by himself after having had a chapter of ten monks of the clergy assembled with difficulty and the full ordination (upasampadā) as approved (anuññātā) by the Master, with a group (gaṇa) consisting of a bearer in memory of disciplinary rules (vinayadhara) as the fifth in all border districts by way of the granted favour (varadāna), however. The grammatical word ca is in the sense of accumulation (samuccaya); by means of it, there collect together (sangaṇāti) also other favours gained from the presence of the Master. Vimutto ca’mhi anāsavo means I am one, who had been emancipated owing to freedom from the entire realities of deprevity (kilesavatthu) by means of the foremost right path (magga); but thereafter I became one free from such cankers as the canker of sensual pleasures and so on; thus, is the interpretation. So ca me Bhagavā diṭṭho means: for whichever purpose I went from the kingdom of Avanti to Sāvatthi, that Blessed One also, whom I had never seen before, had been seen by me. Vihāre ca sahāvāsiṃ means: not only the proviledge of but seeing that Blessed One had been gained by me, but than indeed I lived together (with the Master) in the monastery at the fragrant chamber of the Master, after the circumstantial cause (kāraṇaṃ) had been well marked by the Master in my being allowed to dwell there. Vihāre means: in the vicinity (samīpe) of the monastery according to some scholars (keci). Bahudeva rattiṃ atināmayi means: the Blessed One spent the first watch by way of teaching the truth (dhamma) to the monks and also by way of cleansing (sodhana, scrutinise) their mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna), the middle watch of the night by way of dispelling (chedana) the doubts of divine beings and brahmās, thus, but much of the night in the open air. Vihārakusalo means: clever in living the life of divine beings (dibba) of brahmā, of imperturbability and of a noble (ariya). Vihāraṃpāvisi means: He entered His fragrant chamber (gandhakuṭi) for the purpose of removing (vinodana) the fatigue (parissama) that had arisen (uppanna) owing to sitting and walking to and fro for a long time (ativalaṃ). Santharitvāna saṃghātiṃ seyyaṃ kappesiṃ means: after having prepared His double robe (saṃghāṭi) of four strands He lay down like a lion (sihaseyyaṃ kappesi). On that account he said “Gotamo sīho selaguhāyaṃ va, pahīnabhayabheravo (Gotama, like the lion in its stone-cave lair, devoid of dancer and fear).” There, Gotamo means: he announces (kitteti) the Blessed One by His clan. Sīho selaguhāyaṃ va means: in the cave of the stone hill; according as the lion, king of beasts does its lying down (seyyaṃ) placing carefully (accādhāya) one leg upon another on its right side, devoid of danger and fear owing to the condition of prominence (ussada) of its power (teja), in the same manner the Blessed One Gotama made His lying down, devoid of danger and fear, owing to the state of having well cut off every depravity (kilesa) which constitute the cause of mental excitement (cittutrāsa), hair-bristling and trembling; thus, is the meaning. Tato means: later (pacchā); having done the lying down of the lion (sīhaseyya) He rose up thereafter, it was asked (ajjhesito) by the Master thus: “O monk! Let the truth (dhamma) to be taught to you be evidently clear (paṭibhātu) to you;” thus, is the meaning. Kalyāṇavakkaraṇo means: excellent maker of speech (vacīkaraṇo); the passage (kama) of words endowed with characteristic mark (lakkhaṇa); thus, is the meaning. Soṇo abhāsi saddhammaṃ Buddhaseṭṭhassa sammukhā means: the thera Soṇa Kuṭikaṇṇa but himself spoke as if he were some other monk in the presence of the well self-awakened, Buddha, the sixteen suttas of the eighth chapters (aṭṭhaka vaggiyasuttāni). Pañcakkhandhe pariññāya means: having all round understood the five attaching aggregates (upādānakkhandha) by means of the three kinds of thorough knowledge (pariññāhi) and but knowing them all round; añjasaṃ means: having developed (bhāvayitvā) the noble eightfold path (magga); paramaṃ santaṃ means: nibbāna; pappuyya means: having attained (pāpunitvā) anāsava means: stood free from cankers: parinibbissati means: but thereafter, now, he will enter nibbāna by way of that passing away without leaving any substratum of existence. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Soṇakuṭikakaṇṇa is complete. ----